Reviews for Chicken Bedtime is Really Early

ALA Booklist

(starred review)

by Gillian Engberg

"From chickens to hamsters, from rabbits to sheep. Sooner or later we all need to sleep," begins this charming countdown to bedtime in a barnyard. At five o'clock, chicks take their baths and snuggle into their coop. At eight, "bun-dads and mommies . . . put their young rabbits in footy pajamies." Each hour brings bedtime for a new animal. At last, only the rowdy hamsters are still playing. Then morning comes, and the rooster rises, followed by all the other animals, including "YOU." Children will delight in recognizing the familiar sleepy-time routines in Perl's infectious, bouncing rhymes: the bunnies want the same story, even though "they've all heard it eighteen times before"; the fish "sons and daughters" all want "just one more glass of water." Bates' acrylic paintings-in rich hues, textures, and appealingly simplified shapes-capture the delicious chaos and tumble of toddler bedtime and cast the deep night, when everyone is asleep, as reassuring, safe, and peaceful. Cropped to varying sizes and nicely positioned with several images per page, the art will give children plenty to notice and point to. Together, the words and pictures make a clever, winning offering that soars above other all-too-common bedtime books.

Detroit Free Press

by Janis Campbell

If bedtime always comes too soon for your child, you'll both enjoy Chicken Bedtime Is Really Early by Erica S. Perl. "From chickens to hamsters, from rabbits to sheep, sooner or later we all need to sleep" begins this delightful barnyard bedtime tale. (Chickens head to bed at 5.) The bright blues, reds and yellows of animal portraits by George Bates, whose work has appeared for adult readers of the New York Times and New Yorker, capture the whimsy.

Long Beach Press-Telegraph

by David Ross

A variety of animals complete their bedtime rituals before retiring for the night. Chickens are the first to hit the hay after brushing their teeth and washing their faces. The rest of the barnyard animals follow in short order until everyone has bedded down. When all diurnal creatures are asleep, the nocturnal hamsters begin their noisy routines. As written by Perl, this story has a punchy rhythm that pulls the reader along. Kids will find comfort in the familiar rituals of bedtime, the repetition of which should slow their engines.